Christchurch is today experiencing unseasonably warm weather, with high temperatures expected to continue for the rest of the month.
Sumner Beach last year. Photo: AFP
Christchurch Airport recorded a high of 26.1 degrees Celsius at 11am, the third-highest temperature recorded for May.
MetService meterologist Ciaran Doolin said it was unusually warm weather for the time of year.
He said that along with some light rain, it was likely the city would continue to have mild temperatures in May.
He said there would be a southerly change later next week, which would drop temperatures a bit.
One of the main factors was the warm sea surface temperatures over the Tasman, he said.
A stormy June last year saw rainfall over 150 percent of 'normal rainfall' in Canterbury and many other regions.